This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-094574, filed Mar. 30, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), more particularly to a GaN-based HEMT.
It is strongly expected that a nitrogen-compound field-effect transistor using GaN serves as a power element to be operated at a high power and at a high frequency. The nitrogen-compound field-effect transistors which have been proposed are a Schottky gate field-effect transistor, MESFET (metal semiconductor field-effect transistor), HEMT or MODFET (modulated doped field-effect transistor), and MISFET (metal insulator semiconductor field-effect transistor). Of them, a GaN-based HEMT employing AlxGa(1-X)N as an electron supply layer is considered as a promising high power element since an electron concentration can be rendered higher than that of the GaAs-based HEMT. However, a conventional GaN-based HEMT has a problem in that a kink phenomenon sometimes occurs in the drain-current/voltage characteristics. If the kink phenomenon occurs, a power-added efficiency decreases in a large signal operation performed at a high frequency. The power-added efficiency xcex7 is defined as xcex7=(Poutxe2x88x92Pin)/VdId, wherein Pout is an output power, Pin is an input power, Vd is a supply voltage and Id is a drain current. In addition, the distortion increases and the linearity deteriorates.
Now, the reason why the kink phenomenon occurs in the GaN-based HEMT will be explained. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the GaN-based HEMT according to a first conventional example. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 denote a GaN electron accumulation layer, AlxGa(1-x)N spacer layer, n-type AlxGa(1-x)N electron supply layer, AlxGa(1-x)N cap layer, and a sapphire substrate, respectively. Furthermore, a gate electrode 16 is formed on the cap layer 14, while a source electrode 17 and a drain electrode 18 are formed on the electron supply layer 13.
In the GaN-based HEMT according to the first conventional example, when a drain voltage increases to raise the intensity of the electric field within the electron accumulation layer 11, a current of electrons flows through a strong electric field region between the source electrode 17 and the drain electrode 18. As a result, pairs 22 of electrons and holes are generated by impact ionization within the electron accumulation layer 11. The electrons thus generated flow into the drain electrode 18, increasing the drain current a little. However, the effect of the increased drain current is small. On the other hand, the generated holes 23 are accumulated in a lower portion of the electron accumulating layer 11 as shown in the figure, due to the absence of the electrode for absorbing the holes. The potential of the electron accumulation layer therefore decreases, with the result that the drain current substantially increases in a drain-current saturation region of a graph showing the drain current/voltage characteristics. The drain current significantly increased in this way causes the kink phenomenon shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a GaAs-based HEMT according to a second conventional example.
Reference numerals 11xe2x80x2, 12xe2x80x2, 13xe2x80x2, 14xe2x80x2, and 15xe2x80x2 of FIG. 3 are a GaAs electron accumulation layer, AlxGa(1-X)As spacer layer, n-type AlxGa(1-x)As electron supply layer, AlxGa(1-x)As cap layer, and GaAs substrate, respectively. Furthermore, a gate electrode 16xe2x80x2 is formed on the cap layer 14xe2x80x2, while a source electrode 17xe2x80x2 and a drain electrode 18xe2x80x2 are formed on the electron supply layer 13xe2x80x2.
In the GaAs-based HEMT according to the second conventional example pairs 22 of electrons and holes are also generated in the electron accumulation layer 11xe2x80x2 by the impact ionization as described in the first conventional example. However, most of the holes are absorbed by the gate electrode as shown in FIG. 3. Therefore, the holes are not accumulated in the electron accumulation layer 11xe2x80x2. As a result, the kink phenomenon, a problem of the GaN-based HEMT of the first conventional example, does not occur in the GaAs-based HEMT in the second conventional example.
The big difference of the GaN-based HEMT of the first conventional example from the GaAs-based HEMT of the second conventional example resides in that a large amount of piezoelectric polarization charges 21 are generated in a hetero-junction interface in the former GaN-based HEMT. This is because the ratio between GaN and AlxGa(1-x)N in lattice constant is larger than that between GaAs and AlxGa(1-x)As by an order of magnitude.
When the hetero junction of the GaN layer and the AlGaN layer is formed, positive charges are accumulated in the AlGaN layer near the interface at a GaN-layer side, whereas negative charges are accumulated in the AlGaN layer near the interface at a gate-electrode side due to the piezoelectric polarization effect. As a result, most of the holes generated by the impact ionization are prevented from flowing into the gate electrode by the piezoelectric polarization charges (positive charges) accumulated in the AlGaN layer near the interface at the GaN layer side. The holes are therefore accumulated in the GaN electron accumulation layer, causing the kink phenomenon.
An object of the present invention is to provide a compound-semiconductor-based high electron mobility transistor while preventing a kink phenomenon.
To attain the aforementioned object, the first aspect of the present invention provides a high electron mobility transistor comprising:
a GaN-based electron accumulation layer formed on a substrate;
an electron supply layer formed on the electron accumulation layer;
a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the electron supply layer and spaced from each other;
a gate electrode formed on the electron supply layer between the source and the drain electrode; and
a hole absorption electrode formed on the electron accumulation layer so as to be substantially spaced from the electron supply layer.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high electron mobility transistor comprising:
an electron accumulation layer formed on a substrate;
an electron supply layer formed on the electron accumulation layer, for generating a piezoelectric polarization charge of 1xc3x9710xe2x88x927 C/cm2 or more between the electron accumulating layer and the electron supply layer;
a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the electron supply layer and spaced from each other;
a gate electrode formed on the electron supply layer between the source and the drain electrode; and
a hole absorption electrode formed on the electron accumulation layer so as to be substantially spaced from the electron supply layer.
In the high electron mobility transistor, the hole absorption electrode, which is substantially isolated from the electron supply layer, may be formed spaced apart from the electron supply layer in such a manner that the hole absorption electrode is not electrically affected by the electron supply layer. However, it is preferable that the hole absorption electrode is completely isolated from the electron supply layer.
The high electron mobility transistor is preferably constituted as follows.
(1) The hole absorption electrode is formed on the electron accumulation layer via a semiconductor layer having a smaller bandgap width than that of the electron accumulation layer.
(2) The hole absorption electrode is formed on the electron accumulation layer via a p-type semiconductor layer.
(3) The hole absorption electrode is formed of the same material as the gate electrode.
(4) The source electrode is formed between the hole absorption electrode and the gate electrode.
(5) The hole absorption electrode is formed in parallel with the gate electrode in a gate width direction and has substantially the same length as that of the source electrode in the gate width direction.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a high electron mobility transistor, comprising
a first step of laminating an electron accumulation layer and an electron supply layer successively on a substrate;
a second step of selectively removing the electron supply layer to isolate an element region;
a third step of forming a source and a drain electrode on the electron supply layer of the isolated element region; and
a fourth step of forming a hole absorption electrode on the element accumulation layer exposed by the selective removal of the electron supply layer, and simultaneously forming a gate electrode on the electron supply layer of the isolated element region.
According to the present invention, since the hole absorption electrode is formed on the electron accumulation layer in order to prevent holes generated by impact ionization from being accumulated on the electron accumulation layer, a kink phenomenon can be prevented. As a result, a good drain current/voltage characteristics can be obtained. It is therefore possible to obtain a high power/high electron mobility transistor having a good linearity and a high power-added efficiency.